14 Pacific Rice Courier 
The rice growers are unanimously 
opposed to the suggestion that the city 
sportsmen help in protecting the rice 
by shooting in the ricse fields. In 
practically every instance where the 
hunter has been allowed in the rice 
fields he has chosen a bit of open 
water and constructed a blind often 
at some distance from the growing 
rice. In shooting over such open 
water, the ducks are driven from the 
loafing places to the rice fields. 
\V. J. Mortimer of Dos Palos re- 
ports having experienced severe loss 
because of increased shooting on open 
water due to newspaper publicity. 
METHODS OK CONTROL 
Herding: Many rice growers have 
successfully prevented damage to 
their fields by herding the ducks. 
M en walk the levies with shotguns, and 
simply frighten the birds from the 
fields. Few or no birds are killed, 
as the gun is tired from the hip. 
The California Rice Company of 
Maxwell employed 12 herders during 
the fall of T018. Seven were kept 
busy at night and live in the day 
time. About one ease of black powder 
was used per day during the part of 
the month when the moon shone. 
The success of this method often de- 
pends upon a knowledge of the habits 
of ducks. A lack of success, there- 
fore, is often due to the lack of 
knowledge of the habits of the birds. 
Although shotgun shells when used 
in quantity are expensive, yet the 
cost of this method is usually less 
than the loss occasioned by the depre- 
dations of the birds where the field 
is situated beneath a Hy-line. 
Bombing: Bombs tired from a mor- 
tar, such as are used at 4th of duly 
celebrations, have, proved an effective 
means of driving birds from rice 
fields. The feeding birds are first 
located and bombs tired toward them. 
Other bombs from other parts of the 
field are then tired in the midst of the 
flying birds with the result that they 
are too frightened to soon return. The 
cost of this method of protection is 
probably less than that of herding for 
good bombs can be obtained for $5.00 
a dozen, and smaller ones for even 
less. 
Elimination of open water: The 
intelligent grower can ofter prevent 
damage by eliminating open patches 
of water in the fields. If these areas 
cannot readily he drained, they can 
oftentimes be resown after the first 
planting has been drawn out. 
Note the following statement by 
TV. O. Jacobson of the Dodge Land 
Company, Chico: 
“Generally speaking where the 
stand of rice is as thick as it should 
normally be to produce an optimum 
crop it is virtually impossible for a 
duck to penetrate any distance into 
the paddy, but when the stand is 
scarce conditions are provided for 
enabling the birds to gather the grain, 
particularly when the water is of 
more than normal depth. When such 
conditions are found, it is probable 
that ducks will do considerable dam 
age. Also when rice is planted in 
lands which have previously been 
well known feeding grounds for ducks 
it is likelv that they would readilv 
take to rice as feed.” 
Harvesting: The grower may pre- 
vent damage to rice in the shock by 
planting his harvest during the dark 
of the moon and bv making his 
shocks stable enough so that the ducks 
cannot readily reach the heads. 
GOVERNMENT SOLUTION OF 
PROBLEM 
After a thorough investigation bv 
Mr. Alexander Wet more of the United 
States Biological Survey, the United 
States Department of Agriculture 
solved the problem as follows: 
1. A federal game warden was sta- 
tioned in the rice growing districts 
with orders to prosecute violators of 
the Federal Game Laws. 
2. A blanket permit was issued 
all rice growers, their immediate fam- 
ilies and bona tide employees to herd 
and kill such ducks as might be nec- 
essary in protecting the fields from 
damage previous to the opening* of 
the hunting season on October 15th. 
At the end of each period t lie rice 
grower was required to make a full 
report as to the number of birds so 
killed* 
3. After the opening of the season 
special permits were issued growers 
to herd ducks from the rice fields 
during the night. This was made nec- 
essary because of the federal law 
prohibiting night shooting*. The rice 
growers seem satisfied with the means 
taken by the government to obviate 
the damage. Conditions existing dur- 
ing the month of October, also favored 
the stopping of agitation. 
SUMMARY 
1. The consensus of opinion of rice 
growers obtained through interviews 
was that owners should legallv be 
allowed to protect crops but the un- 
restricted hunting would cause more 
damage to the rice than the ducks. 
Much of the agitation was started by 
townspeople who wanted a chance to 
hunt before the season opened. 
2. Damage to rice caused by ducks 
is limited in extent, hundreds of 
growers never having sustained loss. 
The greatest damage in 1918 was 
found between Maxwell and Colusa, 
in Colusa County. 
3. Thin rice or rice with open 
water is most often attacked by ducks. 
4. The total acreage of growing 
rice destroyed in 1918 amounted to 
not more than 300 acres out of 
145,000 planted in the Sacramento 
Valiev. 
5* The pintail duck is the only 
duck causing appreciable damage. 
6. Such suggested methods as an 
earlier open season, market hunting 
must be branded as impractical 
methods of solving the problem. 
7. Such control measures as herd 
ing and bombing have been proved 
feasible and should be depended upon. 
Intelligent growers can outwit the 
ducks if they make the attempt. 
8. The government solution of the 
urohlem has been successful and 
a 
growers appear satisfied. 
HUDSON 
TRADING CO. 
EXPORT - IMPORT 
RICE 
18 East 41st Street 
NEW YORK 
Cable Address 
HUDTRACO 
Established 1877 
Schwartz Bros. 
Rice Importers 
310 Sansome Street 
San Francisco 
Cable Address “Schwartz” 
